


Allies

by owlmoose



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Between Episodes, Community: ladiesbingo, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21620587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/pseuds/owlmoose
Summary: Joss Carter invites Sameen Shaw for a drink.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Allies

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ladies' Bingo, to the prompt "Soldier, Sailor, Airman: Armed Forces Member". Set early in Season 3, sometime between Ep3.3 ("Lady Killer") and Ep 3.8 ("Endgame"). Minor spoiler for the beginning of Season 3.

Shaw was sitting alone in a corner booth of a diner -- nothing special, just the diner nearest to the library -- nursing a cup of coffee when her cell rang. She glanced down at the caller ID -- an NYPD extension. As far as she knew, Carter and Fusco weren't working any numbers at the moment, but things could move fast in Harold's world, so she tapped the button that would send the call to her earpiece. Just in case. A few months ago, she'd have let it go to voicemail. Weird what this job had done for her phone habits. "Yeah?"

"Shaw?" A familiar woman's voice came through the speaker. "It's Carter." 

"Hey. I didn't think Finch had you working on anything for us."

The snort was almost inaudible. "For once," Carter said, and Shaw had to smile. "Nah, I'm calling on my own time. Listen." She paused, and Shaw leaned back in her seat. Did the always sure-footed and confident Joss Carter sound nervous? "I have the distinct impression that you don't really do the girlfriends thing, and I get it. It's not usually my scene, either. But my shift ended early tonight, and I wondered if you wanted to get a drink. No business, just a drink. Kick back and take a few hours off."

Shaw considered the request for a moment. It was shaping up to be a slow night -- no numbers since early yesterday. Yeah, Harold could call at any time, but she should still take advantage of the quiet. And a drink with Carter would be more entertaining than an uninspiring meal at this uninspiring diner. "You buying?"

Carter chuckled. "Sure."

"All right, you're on." Shaw thought back to the last time she'd had a drink with Carter, while they were on the hunt for Ian Murphy. "No glorified meat markets, though."

"Oh, hell no," Carter said. "That place was _definitely_ not my style. There's a much quieter place down in Soho where I used to go during law school." She named an address. "Meet me there in 20?"

"You got it." Shaw tossed a five down on the table and got up, evading the eyes of the waiter as she slipped out. The only good thing about this place was the back door. She'd have to remember it for her next stakeout.

-x-

The bar was, as promised, much more pleasant than the pick-up joint from their previous fishing expedition. Dark wood paneling everywhere, grad students and lower-rung Wall Street types filling the booths and tables, a tall blond bartender with buff arms and a quick smile. Carter sat at the bar between two empty stools, a near-empty pint glass in front of her. She caught Shaw's eye with a nod, then waved the bartender over. "Gimme another," she said, pushing her glass across the bar. "And a whiskey for my friend."

"You remembered." Shaw turned to the bartender. "Rocks, please. And make it a double."

"You got it," the bartender said. She poured their selections, Carter exchanged the drinks for her credit card, and the two of them scooted over into an empty booth.

"Pretty nice place," Shaw remarked, settling against the back of the bench. It was an old-school booth, the dark wood reaching up almost a foot over her head. "Good for a quiet conversation."

"Yeah," Carter said. "Plus, in these seats, your back is always to the wall." She gestured toward the back of the booth. "You seem like you prefer knowing what's behind you."

Shaw shrugged. "In my line of work, it never hurts." She leaned forward, raised an eyebrow. "Yours, either. And that's not just from being a cop, is it? Ex-military?"

Carter paused, then half-chuckled. "You got me," she said. "And you? What branch?"

"Marines," Shaw said. "At least, that's where I started."

"Army for me," Carter said. "Tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Then I came home, and I barely recognized the place."

Shaw nodded. "It changes the way you look at the world. In ways that other people don't really understand."

"Yeah." Carter took another drink, longer this time. When she set down the drink, it was with a sigh. "My ex was in the Army, too. Figured it would work out better, that we'd have at least that in common, y'know?"

Shaw leaned forward. "Not so much?"

Carter lowered his eyes. "I wasn't wrong exactly, but for him it went too far. PTSD. He's better now, got some help. He's a good man, and a good dad. But the change came too late for us." She leaned back into the corner, a faraway look in her eyes. Shaw sat silently, sipping her drink, until Carter shook herself out of the reverie. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get all serious on you."

Shaw shrugged. "No need to apologize. Although I admit, I'm not your best choice if you were looking for a sympathetic listener. My go-to solution for most problems is to shoot at them."

Carter chuckled. "No wonder you and John work so well together."

"It's like you said." Shaw lifted her glass. "Similar life philosophies built from common experiences." She took another drink. "Although for me and Reese, we're almost too much alike. Both used to taking the lead." She caught Carter's eye. "I couldn't do what you do. Working within such strict rules, in the bright light of scrutiny all the time. I'm more comfortable in the shadows."

"I can tell." Carter shook her head. "Not me. Too often in the Army I saw what happened when people painted outside the lines, how badly it could go, how much people could get hurt. Yeah, sometimes you have to step outside the box, but only with a really, really good reason." She-smiled. "And I know you have good reasons. I trust you all. God knows why, but I do. But it could all go terribly wrong. You know that as well as I do."

"Things can always go wrong." Shaw knocked back the rest of her drink and set the glass on the table with a small thump. "Following the rules isn't a promise of anything. I followed the rules and almost got killed for it." She nodded at Carter. "And you got busted back to a squad car. How'd the rules work out for you there?" 

Carter sat in silence for a moment, then shook her head. "You don't ever pull your punches do you?"

Shaw allowed herself a half smile. "Nope. With me, this is what you get. Take it, or leave it."

"Always knowing where I stand with someone?" Carter leaned forward and nodded. "I'll take it."

"Then I'll buy the next round." Shaw signaled the bartender, then fished out her credit card before she could change her mind. Maybe she didn't need friends, exactly, but she'd take all the allies she could get.


End file.
